


Reading

by UnifiedNations



Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Hermann is concerned, Hugs, Hurt/Comfort, Newt gets upset by fanfiction, Pre-Relationship, They are crushing on eachother
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-25
Updated: 2015-05-25
Packaged: 2018-04-01 06:05:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 864
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4008691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UnifiedNations/pseuds/UnifiedNations
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Newt is being far too quiet to be normal, and Hermann wants to know if something's wrong.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Reading

**Author's Note:**

  * For [KottaKitty](https://archiveofourown.org/users/KottaKitty/gifts).



It was too quiet in the lab.

Hermann stared intensely at his chalkboards, willing the equations to come to him, but as much as he'd loath to admit it the loud music, incessant chattering and disgusting sounds of Kaiju entrails being flung had become a usual part of his work, and admittedly even helped his thought process sometimes. Before he and Newton had become lab partners he thrived in silence, now he could barely stand it.

Newton had left for lunch two hours earlier as happy and cheerful as he normally was after pestering Hermann for several hours and digging through some sort of viscera, but he was silent and sullen when he returned. This alone was enough to rouse Hermann's interest and (dare he say it) worry. There was no loud music, the squelching and splattering of intestines and other bits of the monsters was minuscule at best and he hadn't said a word since he'd gotten back. Then he heard a sniffle.

Turning on his ladder so sharply he nearly fell, Hermann stared in the direction of Newton's dissection tables. The biologist was half-bent over a slab of Kaiju flesh, his thick gloves on and glasses barely perched on the end of his nose. His shoulders were tense and the hand holding the scalpel was shaking slightly.

“Newton?” Hermann called, climbing down from his ladder and barely remembering to grab his cane as he set off for Newt's side of the lab. When he got there he hesitated, not experienced in comforting in the least, sans occasionally soothing his siblings in his youth. “Newton, what on Earth is the matter? Did something happen?” He took several small steps towards his lab partner, slightly comforted when the man slowly put down the scalpel and shook his gloves off before removing his glasses and wiping at his slightly teary eyes. 

“N-no, no. Nothing.” He muttered, choking a little on his words and sniffing a bit more. A few moments passed before his face wrinkled slightly and he shook his head, before turning sharply and practically barrelling into Hermann's chest, clenching his fists in his blazer and shaking with suppressed sobs.

Hermann was stunned. In his several years of working with the biologist the only time he had seen him this emotional was when his uncle died several years earlier. Newton had been distraught and had barely managed to leave his room for several days, Tendo and Hermann having to coax him out with food and the promise of an imminent Kaiju attack that would deliver him more specimens. 

Shaking himself out of his thoughts, Hermann's grip loosened on his cane and it clattered to the ground, his arms coming up to uncertainly rest around Newton's shoulders. Small sniffles continued to come from the man and he tightened his grip slightly, knowing how much Newt loved close contact.

“I am... not practiced in comforting people, Newton,” Hermann murmured, chin just about resting on Newt's hair. “But if there is anything you'd want to talk about, then...”

Newt nodded rapidly, most likely smearing mucus onto Herman's sweater vest before blurting out something completely incomprehensible.

“I- what? I can't understand you with your face buried in my shirt, Newton.” Hermann loosened his grip, placing his hands on the other's shoulders and pushing him away just slightly to look at his face. At the mess of tears and other bodily fluids he grimaced lightly, pulling his handkerchief out of his pocket and offering it up. Newt took it, wiping his cheeks and blowing his nose noisily. 

“S-sorry, man. I didn't mean to go all hysterical on you.” He gave a wet chuckle, wiping at his reddened eyes.

“It is of no matter. Do you want to... talk about it? I hear it lessens the feeling.” Hermann replied slightly uncomfortably. 

“Nah man, it's... it's stupid.” Newt's face began to crumple again and he sniffled, slowly shuffling back to Hermann before resting his head on his shoulder. “I, ah. I was just reading t-this really good fanfiction from this film I love and someone got hit by a car and it hasn't been u-updated since 2015-”

“Wait, what? You were crying over-”

“I know, it's stupid! But I just really love the characters and I don't know whether he died or is okay or what's happened and- and-” Newt broke down again, hiding his face in Hermann's chest and whimpering.

Frozen to the spot, Herman processed what he had just heard before sighing heavily and rolling his eyes.

“Newton. You are without doubt the most ridiculous and overly emotional man I have ever had the displeasure to work with.” He deadpanned, shifting his weight slightly as his leg began to twinge.

“And yet you're still hugging me.” Came the muffled reply, along with a wet sniffle. Hermann sighed again, resigning himself to his fate as Newton's temporary comforter for the time being. The man was ridiculous, childish, and was producing a frankly alarming amount of snot for someone so small, but Hermann couldn't stand the silence anymore.

(There was also the matter of the heavily suppressed feelings he was denying at all costs, but they could wait for another time.)

**Author's Note:**

> Written for my dear KottaKitty again <3


End file.
